Unions’ Disgust At Pay Imposition

Thursday, 22 November 2018 08:31

Jersey’s civil service union has told Channel 103 it is notifying the States today of its plan to take ‘further industrial action’.

It follows the States Employment Board’s decision to impose the 2018 and 19 pay offer on them, as well as on teachers, police, fire and prison staff.

They were told via an email from Chief Executive Charlie Parker that the contested below-inflation increases would be implemented without agreement.

JCSA Prospect met with teaching unions yesterday afternoon to talk about the next steps.

“We will be communicating with the employer to advise them of the action that we are commencing. We have got our AGM next Wednesday and we will be inviting all members to attend to approve proposals for further industrial action before the end of the year.

We are disgusted by the way this has been done. We are also very upset with comments made by Senator Tracey Vallois, that says that negotiations have reached stalemate. Negotiations haven’t even started, as we have said to them on a number of occasions, so for them to say they have reached stalemate is absolute rubbish!”

The National Education Union has issued a similar response.

“We are all very angry about this. We intend to take action in a coordinated way. Those unions that haven’t yet balloted will be balloting, and we have a great strength of feeling that those ballots will be successful.” – Andy Woolley, NEU Regional Secretary

He says it a ‘cynical step’ to give staff a back-dated lump sum just before Christmas.

“Our members are intelligent enough to know that that bribe, if you like, isn’t enough – that they should be getting a proper rate of pay, and they should have had it in January.”

Senator Tracey Vallois is yet to respond to our requests for comment.

Nurses, midwives, manual workers and Energy from Waste workers have been offered a revised pay deal. The details have not been made public. Talks with their unions are continuing.